"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

I've often wondered where Gandalf kept his "stuff" myself. But, anytime he ever needs anything he produces it from the folds of his robes. Maybe his bag is like Hermione's in Harry Potter.

Also, Bilbo referred to him as the "wandering wizard" so i took that rather literally. My avatar photo is Lake Tekapo in New Zealand's South Island. Taken by me in 2004 on a Red Carpet Tours LOTR Movie Location Tour. 'Twas the Vacation of a Lifetime!

pictures taken while on the tour are here: https://picasaweb.google.com/Kirly7/LOTRNewZealandTour#

Gandalf was forced to abandon Gamalon after it was destroyed by the Space Battlecruiser Yamato/Argo. 'There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.' - Gandalf the Grey, The Fellowship of the Ring

...a vast citadel of his own making, which he proudly named Minas Ereb, a Sindarin name to honor the beauty of Elven craftsmanship that inspired its design. A masterpiece of architectural balance of beauty and defensive function, it was carved intricately out of a tremendous mountain of solid crystal.

In its beginning stages, for security and secrecy purposes it had to be magically relocated from place to place. While half-built, it resided for a brief time on another planet (which, sadly, no longer exists).

During the Third Age, after it was completed, he placed it at a hidden, solitary location in frozen Forodwaith.

Why is he is not there anymore? To keep it secret from the Enemy (its spies are everywhere). And that secret was kept safe throughout his time in Middle-earth.

Once Gandalf took up the mantle of protector of Arda, the Grey Pilgrim, wandering wizard, uniter of the Free Peoples and mastermind of their opposition to the Enemy, he never once returned to that stronghold. And he never looked back.

Instead, he made sure to leave it for another who would take up the mantle of protector of free peoples from dark forces. Someone from the planet where once the citadel lay. Someone who would take up the key to that citadel for his own headquarters. That protector would come to know it by its name's Westron translation:

The Fortress of Solitude. A bag is like a hole that you can carry with you.

and I love the way you've laid it all out. Great post! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories

Although I think that Hobbiton and Bag End is his favourite place to go to when he needs to re-charge his batteries. He always seems to drink in the hobbits and their simple life. It also reminds him of why he works so hard as a steward of Middle-earth. Not just for great realms and mighty kingdoms... but for the beautifully simple world of the Shire. I think he also taught that same appreciation to Aragorn. A fortunate lesson for the future King :) First draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observation List - updated list coming soon

Balin told him the phrase to open the Gates. Then, after Balin died the dwarves went and changed the password to mellon. He really did know the password!...the original at least.

Gandalf kept his dwelling place secret from everyone, even the Fellowship. When he said "I have no memory of this place," he was throwing them off. The "wrong" passages led to Gan-delf. The smell was fouler down there because he hadn't been back to do his laundry since Balin's days.

...where he enjoyed spending time in the Candy Cane and Lollipop Forests and roaming Gum Drop Mountain. He often hung out with Mr. Mint -a-dil (known by some as Nom) and the Gingerbread People of the Shire but had many conflicts with Lord Sauron of Licorice. Gandalf also had issues with Gollum the Mollasses Monster. It has been reported that there may have been some romantical involvement with Queen Frost-ladriel though this was never confirmed by either party.

He's been trapped there by an evil moviemancer, known only as PJ the Bold, and forced to appear in numerous films, portraying himself. He has dispatched past co-stars from this Dark Stage to seek rescue for him, but they have disappeared, one by one. Some say they passed into the Uttermost West, forsaking him to an endless life of film edits and popcorn, alas.

In the game of Wizard Tag, there are two teams and two home bases
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Saruman's team had Isengard; Radagast's had Rhosgobel. But wait, you say: There are five Wizards in Middle Earth; don't you need even numbers for Wizard Tag? Indeed, yes, you do. But Wizards are tricksy and need constant refereeing. Hence Gandalf's seeming rootlessness and his constant attempts to keep the peace between Saruman and Radagast. Oh, the blueses? They lost interest in the game and went off to play Wizard Tea Party. At any rate... Gandalf finds black and white stripes unflattering, so he received permission millennia ago to wear gray and call it good. From whom? From his superiors at the Office of the Commissioner of Wizard Tag, headquartered in Gandalf's favorite cloud right off the coast of Valinor. The same cloud that rained with joy to see him coming home. Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit